now even France is more attentive»- Corriere.it

Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Coast Guard says that the NGO ships are slowing down the rescue operations. Don't you think that Italy can't afford a continuous confrontation with those who save lives at sea? Isn't there another way to cooperate?

«If there are rules, they must be respected, the state is doing everything in its power, there is nothing preconceived against NGOs. There are laws, and a constant work of everyone, of our Coast Guard and our Navy. For two months we have been saying, in all international tables, what is about to happen: we must help Tunisia with financing from the IMF and the World Bank, giving at least the first aid pending reforms and a verification of progress. It is now a dog chasing its tail, the financial emergency feeds that of migrants".
Tunisia risks becoming a failed state. Italy is putting pressure on the IMF to release needed aid, but the Americans seem to oppose it.

«Everyone is moving, let's not make the mistake of leaving Tunisia to the Muslim Brotherhood. The EU is also moving, European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni went today. Even France is looking more closely at the problem, after Macron's meeting with Meloni. On the Americans I can only say that we are talking to everyone, we support a compromise solution: to give initial support, because the Tunisians maintain that without money they cannot carry out reforms. And if the EU or the IMF do not intervene and China or Russia intervene, how can we put it?».
The first concrete steps by the EU could be new patrol boats for North African countries and greater maritime surveillance systems, but they seem to be buffer measures that have not worked in the past.

«In the meantime, what can be done immediately, then of course we need a strategic intervention for Africa, climate change is destroying the agriculture of many countries and if we don't intervene with a sort of Marshall Plan we will always be chasing emergencies . There is a situation of growing instability that needs to be tackled with long-term interventions, not only by the EU, but also by the United Nations and the Monetary Fund».
Isn't it that you are asking the EU for something it cannot do due to its institutional structure and borders?

«In the meantime, the EU is stronger than Italy, there are various routes to manage and control, starting with the Balkan route. It is a common interest of many EU states to stop illegal immigration».
What is the Italian proposal: why have you never developed an organic one?

«We have always made proposals, then the Commission has to work them out. It takes the will of all states to tackle the problem in depth. Also because in many cases our country is only the border, with most of these people wanting to go to other states, from Germany to Finland".
What are the missions in Tunisia or Libya for if the problem today is upstream and is called the Sahel?

"The problem is not only in the Sahel, stabilizing and strengthening the institutional structures of the North African states serves many objectives: saving lives, better managing flows, countering the trafficking of criminal organizations".
Pnrr, when will you end the negotiations with the EU? When will there be a transparent and detailed picture of the works and expected times?

«We are working to solve all the problems, we have inherited some projects that need to be modified. It's not an easy matter to manage, in five months you don't have the magic wand, but we are in the right direction».
Biofuels, why did Germany get what it wanted without big public declarations and we instead protest in public without getting concrete results?

«Let's see what happens when the negotiations are concluded, we are trying to broaden the front of the countries that support our position. I hope that everyone realizes that these objectives are not achievable, in the meantime a front has opened up that seemed closed».
How do you explain the power struggle in Forza Italia?
“We didn't decapitate or weaken anyone. There is a leader called Berlusconi and a party that makes constant adjustments to work better and better in view of the next European elections».